Preparing for surgery can feel overwhelming or scary if you don’t know what to expect. You may have some unanswered questions and worries that make you feel this way. Knowing what to expect will help you feel less nervous and more in control.  As an additional source of information, please be sure to review Aestique’s Surgical Packet found under Preparing For Surgery which will go into more detail.  

Registration:  When you arrive at our new state-of-the-art surgical center, you will be greeted by our staff to complete your registration process.  We ask that you present your drivers license and insurance card(s) and verify personal, escort and insurance information.  After this is completed, a staff member will come to get you and your escort and take you to our pre-admissions area where you will be assigned a PACU bay to make yourself comfortable in.  

Pre Admissions:  The pre-operative nurse and anesthesia team will review your information with you and discuss your anesthesia needs and start any necessary medications and/or IVs.  Your surgeon and/or team will also meet with you prior to surgery to discuss your surgical procedure, answer any questions you have about the procedure and make any necessary pre-op markings of the surgical site.

Operating Room:  When the surgeon and operating room are ready for you, you will be brought into the O.R.  Your escort will be escorted back to the lobby area where your progress will be communicated with them.  A surgical team member can give you an estimate on how long your surgery is scheduled for, but note that the total time in the operating room also includes administering and discontinuing anesthesia, positioning and preparing the operative site and transferring you to the recovery room.

When surgery is complete, the surgeon may call or visit the lobby to speak to your family to review your status and any pertinent information.

*If there is a significant recovery period and you have prescriptions to be filled, your family may want to step out and get them filled while they wait for you.  Please let the front desk staff know if you would like to arrange this.

Recovery Room:  You will spend 45 minutes to up to 2 hours in the recovery room depending upon the procedure and anesthesia you had.  A nurse will be caring for you postoperatively and will be assisting you with your safety and comfort needs.  The nurse will also chat with your family and review any post-operative instructions and will instruct them when to pull the vehicle up for discharge.

If you received a local anesthetic only, you will return to the pre-operative area for discharge immediately after your procedure.

Discharge:  After you are fully recovered, you will be discharged to a responsible adult.  The nurse will go over the post operative instructions again and give your family any necessary items (personal belongings bag, prescriptions, etc.)

Surgical times are estimated and sometimes run longer than anticipated, as we want our patients to receive safe, high quality care.  We have a tracking board available in our lobby that will allow your family to remain updated on your progress.  Please do not hesitate to ask the front desk staff for updated information at any time.